1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the processing of pork bellies to produce sliced bacon and more particularly to a method of docking pork bellies prior to slicing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production of bacon, pork bellies are conventionally processed into pressed slab bacon. The slab bacon bellies are then chilled for slicing. The chilled bellies are typically sliced from end to end. When slicing pork bellies using these conventional methods, a significant amount of bacon slices that do not qualify for the highest quality bacon (xe2x80x9cNo. 1 baconxe2x80x9d) are generated. The lower grade bacon slices are normally sorted out, packaged and sold as a lower grade of bacon. This method is inefficient in that the entire bacon slab must be sliced to obtain the more select part of the bacon slab. By having to slice the entire bacon slab to obtain the highest quality bacon, the slicing lines are slowed which results in lower efficiencies. Additionally, conventional slicing methods result in lower slicing yields.
The present invention relates to a method of processing pork bellies to produce sliced bacon that overcomes the inefficiencies and difficulties in the prior art. In one embodiment a method of the present invention comprises receiving at least one pork belly, having a flank end and a shoulder end, from a pork belly treating process, docking the flank end and the shoulder end from the at least one pork belly, placing the docked pork belly on a slicing machine, and slicing the docked pork belly to produce sliced bacon. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cdockxe2x80x9d means to remove or cut off.
A pork belly treating process may comprise curing pork bellies, smoking the pork bellies, chilling pork bellies and pressing the pork bellies into substantially rectangular shapes. A pork belly is preferably docked after the pork belly is cured, smoked and chilled. A pork belly may be docked before it is pressed into a substantially rectangular shape, after it is pressed and through storage, or just prior to slicing. A pork belly is preferably docked from none up to six inches on each or either end of the pork belly.
In another embodiment, a method of processing pork bellies of the present invention comprises receiving at least one pork belly, having a flank end and a shoulder end, from a pork belly treating process, removing the flank end and the shoulder end from the at least one pork belly, placing the docked pork belly on a slicing machine, and slicing the docked pork belly to produce sliced bacon.
In the production of bacon and other meat products, the tendency is to realize the maximum value of the meat by utilizing as much meat as possible. In contrast, the present invention recognizes that by docking the ends of the pork bellies (i.e., not using the entire pork belly), such that only the highest quality bacon is produced, a bacon manufacturer can produce more of the highest quality bacon in a shorter amount of time. Therefore, a manufacturing process utilizing the present invention increases its economic efficiency by docking the ends of the pork belly and only producing the highest quality bacon. In addition, the docked ends may be used for making other types of bacon.
The present invention advantageously provides a new method of processing pork bellies to produce sliced bacon.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of processing pork bellies to produce sliced bacon which reduces the cost of producing the highest quality sliced bacon.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a method of processing pork bellies to produce sliced bacon which reduces the time required to produce the highest quality sliced bacon.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to increase the slicing yield of pork bellies and bacon slabs.
The present invention also advantageously speeds up the slicing lines in the production of sliced bacon.
Additional details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description.